Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-10-29
A NOVEL INSTITUTION.
4 PLACE WHERE LoNDoNeRs GO FOR INFORMATION OF ALL KINDS.
An once of Universal Information for the PubIio-simpIs System of Arrange ment-Curious Queries Received from Widely Different Sources

ment-Curfous queries heceNeu Hon
 Widely Different Sources
 "Nothina is so easy as the invention of yesterday" " is truisIn of particular force when brought in connection with the univer sal knowledge and information office situated in Southarnpton street, Bloomsbury, which will probably be best known to the our readers from the sight of elongated persons with lugubrious faces. dressed in coats reach ing to their feet, and carrying lightly made desk. waiting along the main thoroughfares for sll the world like a series of new and re- vised editons of the Wandering Jew. These men are peraYnbulating branch offices of the central information office, end any question given to them in writing will be forwarded to headquarters and replied to without loss of time. The history of this remarkable in- stitution is brief but curious, since 1t differs from all similar undertakings in the fact that it is neither a commercial concern nor a money speculation. The establishment of a universal knowledge and information office IS entirely duo to Lord Truro, who started the office with the double object of beneiiting tho public and providing a new opening for the employment of women. "lt was my idea '' said the founder of the bureau in ths course of an interview We had with him on Q recent occasion. ''to found central office, where any person could have any question answered without delay, where researches into literature, science and art could be con ducted, where all languages could be written or transp0sed, calculations be made, and statistics be kept always available" Such an institution is now in a fiourishing state of existence and its work b as various us II IS interesting.
 A SIMPLE SYSTEM
 The system of arrangement is simple. Cor respondents have been appointed in every town of importance throughout the world. Its interor working is divided into depart ments, each comprising a range of subjects, from agriculture to Hindoostani and from literature to engineering. A large staff, comprising over thirty persons, Is kept on the premises, and among them are hnguiSts csYAble of writing and translating every tongue from Welsh to Japanese and from Portuguese to Greek One Is a practical chemist another an engineer, while among the res; are artists. designers, ladies well up in the various kinds of fine work, tapestry, etc, and gentlemen of liberal education and literary knowledge for general research. Beside these some 200 others are employed on various errands \ large staff is kept making researches at the British museum, another at the Guildhall library. In short, there is no branch of knowledge, language or subjt t on which immediate information cannot be given, providing f Is not ques- tion requiring lengthy research There are, however, two things which the office will not do, and about these Lord Truro, who, by the way, personally superintends the bureau every day, is very particular. The first relates to questions of detective or in quisitorial character; the second rule lays down that the office shall not interfere with any of the professions.
 The arrangements in Southampton street are admirable. but although established only in January, 1884, the work has tsrown the space allotted to it and larger premises will have 10 be shortly sought. Several hun fred letters are received every morning and more continue to pour in throughout the day. Every letter is at once attended to and put into the hands of a lady or gentleman in whose department the inquiry may be. The questions are next registered in a book and the answer when sent is also recorded. Some of these queries are exceedingly curious and give en interesting insight into the bent Of peoples minds They comprise every subject, known or unknown languages to be translated into English and back again and We may here note that a very large number of queries come from abroad Tho payment for these foreign questions is gcner- ally made in money or stamps of the country from which the letters come, and in this way Lord Truro has acquired large and curious collection of foreign money and stamps. Among thoss we saw were Rus sian rubles ROumanian % lei pieces, ItSl- ian lire, German gulden, American notes and Spanish dollars, to say nothing of ru- pecs and postage stamps Galogs.
 THREE GLASSES oR QUESTIONS.
 The questions received in Southampton street may be divided into three classes- the ordinary, the curious and the ridiculous, though the last mentioned comprise but O small minority. Queries respecting hair dyes, nose machines, quack medicines, etc, are, of oourse, in the ascendsnt, but of a more thoughtful kind are those such as that put by an inquirer wanting to know; "HOw can you tell the difference between blow and a fall, judging from the effects only:' Another inquiring mind asks for the address of .'the headuaTteTs of the non-Polygamous Mormonsr Others demand list of the different appointments in the gift of the government for which no examination is re- quired, the first mention of the mehdi. and
 
 saint of CuparFife and fourteen or fifteen names of men who deal in cotton waste in Spain. One correspondent writes from Jnpan to learn ''the French for opium caste. !" and another from Worcester asks Who is in | possession of two estates in Santa Cruz"
 It Is the ladies, however. who distinguish themselves the most, and their queries are ns various as they arc instructive. num- Der have sent for correct costumes for fancy dress balls, one even requiring that of the | Queen of Sheba, request which was met with Q water color sketch Of the dame in Queston correctly costuined- Two different ladies in different towns have asked for recipes for preventing blushing, a somewhat | startling fact, indeed, we could have more easily understood prayer for the secret of | an imitation article "Wkere," !" asks one damsel, ''can information be obtainel as 10 the falSetto singing prac:iced in the Alps.'' | and ''what," " writes another fair maid. s.is the antidote for the poison of fieaf'' There | quest for recipe for on ink that will vanish after it has been on paper eight or ten days can be easily understood and is often re- | peated. but what Is meant by the petition for full particulars as to iliTtatio.. by post age stamps" we are at loss tO learn Lssav- Ing the fair sex and quoting from the gen eral questions We cull the following: Who | spoke in the house of commons uninter- ruptedly for twenty-two hOurss' What arc the duties of best men ut a wediingg'' | How to enter ladies society," ''WEat Is the average speed of a fire engine:' "Wherc | can dumb piano be purchascd:'' ''Is there a copyright between England and Russias'' "Giv0 the names of architects practicing Il in Copenhagen. "Give addresses of homes for ladies suffering from dipsOmania, and | DO Bordeaux pigeons really come from | Bordeaux"
 The registers from which VIC have quoted | are kept in strict privacy, but were they | available they would give better insight | into the workings of the minds of the public than any similar records with which we aIs
 Silver King Items.
 SILVER KING. A, T., Oct. IS.